Hi everyone, I'm ashley and I am 16 years old. Last week I was involved in a very bad four wheeling accident and now I have an external frame on my arm. The day this happened, I met the man of my dreams. Ever since that day, he has been right by my side taking care of me and comforting me. Well last night we were at my house and he told me that he could possibly have cacer or some sort of disease. He doent know for sure of course because he is a guy and they are stubborn when it comes to going to doctors(no offense). He told me that he has lumps in his breast I guess I could say and he doesnt have any clue of what they are. At that point I got really scared and started crying. I dont want anything to happen to him. I care about him way to much to lose him. So my question is, can guys have breast cancer? and if this isnt cancer, what could it be? To give a little history, he used to play baseball a whole lot. Could it be scar tissue? Please someone help me. By the way, I hope I dont sound naive.

Yes, he should go to a doctor. But there's no need to worry or be upset unless you get bad news. People can have non-cancerous lumps all over their body. I'm one of those people.... I have over 25 of these lumps "all over the place". They are called lipoma. They started forming when I was a teenager and mostly stopped growing etc. when I hit middle age. I've had some of them for over thirty-five years.

Also, breast tissue in a man can be irritated and a lump can form too, sometimes filling with blood as in a bruise. Again, don't worry. Lumps and bumps are common for a lot of us. They are not always cancer. It just should be checked....

Thank you to everyone who replied to my post. Im still worried of course. My boyfriend doesnt want to tell his parents and in order for him to go get checked, he has to tell them. Im so ready to find out what this is. It is really worrying him and I dont want either of us to have to be stressed and worried over something that could be nothing you know... I will keep everyone updated!

While I can't guarantee that your boyfriend doesn't have cancer, it is thousands of times more likely that he instead has the relatively harmless "lipomas" like I do. Yes, he should see a doctor, but in the meantime, you should be more concerned that he might be killed in an auto accident--because that would be far more likely than these bumps being cancer!

I have about 90 lipomas (“fatty tumors”) myself, and have had about 40 removed over the last 25 years. I have studied this subject extensively, and would like to provide some facts based on both my personal experience and my review of the medical literature. I believe that all of the information here is consistent with what your doctor would tell you, and of course you should follow whatever advice your doctor gives you. I am not a doctor.

CAUSE: Lipomas are caused by a genetic abnormality that you were born with. In most cases it is a “translocation mutation” that affects chromosome segment 12q13-15 (the protein that controls normal growth in fat cells.) But don’t worry if you don’t understand that. All you need to know is that lipomas are NOT caused by obesity, diet, exercise, any metabolic factor, or anything that you can control.

PROGNOSIS: There are many types of lipomas. Most people posting to the message board seem to have the common, harmless type as I do. These form just below the skin. As I mentioned, I have 90 lipomas, and 25 years of experience with them, yet I have never had a lipoma in a problematic area such as an internal organ or pressing against a nerve. Even if you have tons of lipomas as I do, you still have a greater chance of being struck by lightening as having a lipoma that truly affects your health. Also, lipomas do not turn to cancer.

TREATMENT MYTHS: Medical technology is not yet advanced enough to cure genetic mutations. Until that happens, there is no way for you to prevent lipomas from occurring. Here is an analogy: A person who is born with blue eyes and fair, reddish colored skin has this imprinted in his genes. There is no known way to convert him into a dark skinned, brown-eyed person with black hair. Those of you who are eating shark fins, rubbing the lipoma with crème, changing your diet, etc. are buying “snake oil”. Do you honestly think that there is some hidden cure that medical science has overlooked in all of their research? It’s absurd.

TREATMENT TRUTHS: I won’t attempt to advise anyone who has the rare type that are located in an internal organ or next to a nerve.

Most people get the same harmless type of Lipoma that I do, with size ranging from a “bb” to a large grape, located on your arms, trunk, or legs). For myself, treatment has really been a cosmetic issue. After a few years, my lipomas that are closest to the skin become visible to others. At that point, they may be more unsightly than a scar would be (especially with the new procedure that I mention below). I therefore have them removed by a plastic surgeon on an outpatient basis in his office. He removes four or five at a time, which takes him about fifteen minutes all together. For small or deeper lipomas, I don’t bother because they can’t be seen.

Here is some good news: There is a new surgical procedure that leaves a less noticeable scar. (Again, this only applies to the common lipomas as I have described above. It won’t work for a baseball-sized lipoma on your back.) The new procedure uses “internal stitches” only. The incision is then covered with adhesive, followed by steri-strips (tape). The resulting scar does not have the characteristic dots that were left by conventional external stitches. The recovery from this procedure is much easier and less painful than the old procedure with sewing on top of your skin. Internal stitches dissolve, and so you do not have to go back into the office a second time to have stitches removed.

I hope this helps clear up any confusion or concern that you might have had about this. Good luck.

Why is this wonderful young man afraid to tell his parents? It's not his fault that these bumps appeared. Most likely it is not cancer, but just in case it is, it is much better to catch it early. Encourage him to tell his parents and go to the doctor. Good luck to both of you.